Served as member of Legal, Risk, and Corporate Responsibility (LRCR) leadership team. Acted as key member of all mergers and acquisitions legal and risk activity, working closely with internal stakeholders, and managing outside counsel for all acquisitions and similar strategic transactions. As the first in-house attorney in this role, I spearheaded the company’s development of mergers and acquisitions function as first internal M&A attorney, including strategizing with newly formed corporate development function to develop processes, procedures, form documents, and outside counsel resources.Led acquisition and investment transactions as the sole in-house deal attorney, including formulating strategy in the initial stages of transactions, reviewing and negotiating transaction documentation, analyzing existing target company documents to determine the optimal treatment of the transaction, managing outside counsel to minimize costs while maximizing returns on outside counsel spend, and assisting in the preparation and presentation of transaction information for senior leadership and board of directors’ approval.Assisted on special projects such as formation and implementation of the company’s newly-announced veterinary clinics.Provided support for the company’s internal corporate securities and commercial contracts teams on an as-needed basis.Stepped in as Director of Legal Operations beginning in November 2023 following the departure of the then-current director. In this capacity, managed one team member and all aspects of legal operations function, including budgeting, software evaluation and procurement, implementation of benchmarking resources, and liaising with newly-hired general counsel and other LRCR members to determine present and future needs and areas of focus.

Served as a member of the law department leadership team with primary responsibility for all merger and acquisition legal activity, from the initial strategy formulation through documentation, closing, and post-closing integration, including transactions involving multiple foreign jurisdictions. Additionally, drafted, reviewed, and negotiated commercial contracts for wide variety of services and products for company’s internal use, including contracts providing for outsourcing, software, cloud-based services, and consulting.• Assumed M & A role in midst of several ongoing company divestitures, and successfully negotiated all transactions to closure.• Supervised legal assistant in day-to-day subsidiary management and corporate governance matters for over 50 domestic and international subsidiaries.

Partner with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, general corporate transactions and contract review. Acted as lead or sole attorney on transactions with affiliated family office and unaffiliated clients, including asset managers, private companies and high net worth individuals. • Assisted in guidance of start-up boutique law firm from initial formation to over ten practicing attorneys and legal assistants, including recruitment and management of all initial operations functions. • Primary attorney opposite partners from “big law” law firms for multiple private transactions with a value in excess of $100 million.

Private equity content editor for Practical Law's corporate and M&A service. Acted as senior editor responsible for all private equity content on PracticalLaw.com subscription website for attorneys and other legal professionals providing legal know-how through practice notes, document templates, and market information. Drafted, wrote, edited, reviewed, collaborated on, and updated resources, including standard form documents and clauses, practice guidance notes, and checklists. Developed relationships with law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and industry groups to ensure content was topical and met subscriber needs. Conceived and developed ideas for private equity and mergers and acquisitions law content to be published on online services and in companion print magazine. Assisted sales team by participating in sales calls and demonstrated service to potential subscribers.

Business Transactions Special Counsel (2007-2015); Associate (1998-2006)Senior member of the firm’s general corporate department with a focus on mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and capital transactions. Represented private equity firms, hedge funds, public and private companies, and financial institutions as purchasers, sellers, borrowers, and lenders. Acted as lead counsel on transactions, served as the primary client contact, and held responsibility for all day-to-day activity on matters. Managed teams of associates, paralegals and other specialists on transactions.• Handled all aspects of over 40 public and private mergers, stock and asset acquisitions, minority investments, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, and capital transactions with a combined value of over $50 billion.• Represented lenders, borrowers, and equity sponsors in finance transactions at all levels of the capital structure, including asset-based lending and cash-flow facilities, acquisition financing, high-yield debt offerings and exchange offers, working capital lines, debtor-in-possession, and exit facilities.• Advised on all aspects of initial and secondary public offerings, and private placements of debt and equity securities, including negotiating and drafting underwriting agreements, legal opinions, offering memoranda, prospectuses, and registration statements.• Prepared and filed periodic SEC reports and proxy statements.• Provided ongoing general advice to private and public companies, including insider trading issues, Section 16 issues, and corporate structuring matters.• Summarized and monitored covenants in applicable debt and equity instruments and managed mandatory excess cash flow, restricted payment, and similar offers as required by such instruments.• Assisted corporate clients with crisis management, including formulating and implementing responses to external investigations and inquiries, and managing internal investigations with respect to areas of concern.